Careers

Art Windsor-Essex  

Position Title: TD Curatorial Fellow 

Reporting to: Head of Exhibitions and Collection  

Type of Employment: Contract full-time (12 months) 

Work hours: 35 hours 

Contract: $45,000 annually  

 Established in 1943, AWE is the largest public art gallery in Southwestern Ontario and has grown with incredible support from the Windsor-Essex community. For over 75 years, AWE has experienced great change – in leadership, our collection and our address. With every adaptation, we keep getting better at what we do: inspiring growth through the power of art. At AWE, we share historical Canadian, Indigenous and contemporary art with the Windsor-Essex community in inventive and creative ways. Through our activities, we spark creativity and conversations, and educate and engage. With 15,000 square feet of exhibition space, new takes on our permanent collection of nearly 4,000 artworks, and through unexpected partnerships, AWE is the creative heart of Windsor-Essex.  

 We are currently looking to onboard a motivated and passionate TD Curatorial Fellow to assist in the development and execution of three solo exhibitions for the series Below the 6, working with Southwestern Ontario-based emerging and mid-career artists to develop community-engaged exhibitions and programming. Priority will be given to Indigenous and equity-deserving applicants. 

Summary of Function 

  The TD Curatorial Fellow is a full-time, one-year contract role that supports Art Windsor-Essex’s goal to provoke conversation through our exhibitions and programs, and introduce different ways to look at, think about, and make art. The curatorial fellow will gain valuable and tangible hands-on experience in many aspects of exhibition and program development and execution, as well as in the ongoing artistic and programmatic activities of an art museum.  

Below the 6 is an ongoing series of exhibitions that focuses on artists based in Southwestern Ontario and whose practices are socially and politically minded, generously supported by TD Bank Group. Under the supervision of the Head, Exhibitions and Collections, TD Curatorial Fellows will produce three exhibitions and corresponding public programs in accordance with this program, AWE’s mission and strategic values, and in alignment with their curatorial interests and practice. 

Key responsibilities include:  

• • Under the supervision of the Head, Exhibitions and Collection, researching, proposing and executing three exhibitions from Below the 6, including but not limited to:  

• • Conducting studio visits with regional artists 

• • Undertaking job shadowing opportunities to research innovative exhibition strategies and curatorial approaches 

• • Preparing exhibition pitches for curatorial staff 

• • Where necessary, engaging community-members in the planning of and execution of exhibitions and public programs 

• • Drafting contracts and collating payment information 

• • Preparing layouts of exhibitions 

• • Researching and developing technical specifications and plans for exhibitions and communicating them effectively to technical services staff 

• • Writing promotional texts and didactics at Grade 8 levels 

• • Providing tours to specialized audiences and to the general public 

• • Assisting in generating survey and other qualitative and quantitative metrics to assess exhibition impact 

• • Participating in postmortem activities 

• • Under the supervision of the Head, Programs and Projects, proposing and executing, at minimum, three community-engaged public programs for each Below the 6 exhibition, including but not limited to:  

• • Researching potential speakers and performers 

• • Drafting contracts and collating payment information 

• • Researching technical requirements and communicating them effectively to technical services staff 

• • Conducting postmortem interviews with participants and programmers to ensure program effectiveness and impact 

• • Assisting with ongoing AWE exhibitions and public programs 

• • Assisting with researching AWE collections materials, including preparing research reports for Board Committees 

• • Other duties as assigned

Skills & Requirements  

• • Bachelor’s degree in art history, art education, museum education, or a related discipline (e.g. cultural studies, education, etc.) 

• • Familiarity visual art is required; familiarity with Indigenous and/or Canadian visual art is preferred 

• • Effective communication skills (written and oral) 

• • Experience with research, writing, copy-editing and proofreading with a high level of critical/logical and creative/innovative thinking is desirable. 

• • An energetic, self-motivated, results-oriented attitude 

• • A strong work ethic and the ability to work independently 

Please note that this role is a hybrid position, working on-site three days a week (with increasing in-person requirements during special events and installation periods). The candidate may also travel for job-shadowing and studio visit opportunities. 

How to Apply 

Acceptable applications must include the following: 

• • A letter (maximum 2 pages) describing the applicant’s interest in the position what they hope to learn; 
  • A résumé (maximum 2 pages); 

• • Three references (this could include former professors or instructors, colleagues, or artists, although at least one needs to be a former or current supervisor); 

• • Two writing samples related to the visual arts (one of which may be academic). 

Please submit your letter of interest and resume via email to Thomas Boucher in confidence: tboucher@artwindsoressex.ca. Please quote TD Curatorial Fellow in the subject line of your application. 

Below the 6 is a series of exhibitions that focuses on artists based in Southwestern Ontario and whose practices are socially and politically minded. Below the 6 is generously supported by TD Bank Group. 

Art Windsor-Essex is committed to employment equity and supports building a skilled and diverse workforce. Members from the following designated groups (Women, Indigenous, Visible Minorities, Persons with Disabilities and Sexual Minorities) are encouraged to apply and to self-identify.